Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
These vegan lemon blueberry muffins are wonderfully moist, light, and quick to make. Made with vegan yogurt and oil, they’re completely dairy-free and require no eggs, resulting in a soft, tender texture. The lemon adds a fresh, bright flavor that pairs perfectly with the blueberries. This simple recipe is perfect for afternoon coffee, a fruity-sweet start to the day, or a little treat in between.
Moist vegan lemon blueberry muffins – why this recipe works
“Never change a winning team” – this vegan lemon blueberry muffin recipe is based on my beloved vegan lemon blueberry loaf cake which I really wanted to turn into muffins: light, moist, nicely risen, and still as simple and reliable as possible.
After several test runs (and thanks to my lucky friends who keep getting to enjoy this task), this is the version I landed on. In this post, I’ll share all the secrets to soft and moist vegan blueberry muffins, so your success is practically guaranteed.
For the muffins, I slightly adjusted the cake recipe: a bit of starch for a finer crumb, less whole grain flour for more lightness, and a little less lemon zest but more juice. The juice not only adds freshness but also works together with the leavening to give the muffins a good rise.
I also wanted the blueberries to stand out more, so they’re used more generously here. Together with yogurt and oil, these egg-free muffins stay moist for days while still being soft – completely no eggs needed.
Instead of icing, simply sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top. Or, if you want to make it a bit fancier, you can easily prepare a crispy oatmeal crumble. More on that in a moment…
Ingredients for vegan lemon blueberry muffins
I’ve already shared some of the ingredients and what good they do, but here’s a full overview. As always, you’ll find the exact measurements at the end of the post.
- Sugar: If you prefer a more tooth-friendly, lower-calorie option, you can use birch sugar (xylitol) instead.
- Soy yogurt or soy skyr
- Oil: A neutral oil like canola, sunflower, or corn oil works best for baking muffins.
- Lemon: Juice and zest
- Baking powder
- Salt: Just a pinch
- Flour: Wheat or spelt flour, ideally a mix of white flour and whole grain flour in a ratio of 2.5:1
- Starch: Replaces a small portion of the flour for a finer texture
- Sparkling water: A splash of carbonation makes the batter even lighter and softer
- Blueberries: Of course, essential for any vegan blueberry muffins
What you won’t find in these vegan lemon blueberry muffins are eggs, butter, or milk – all things you simply don’t need here. These muffins are completely egg-free and dairy-free, without compromising on texture or flavor.
Oat Crumbles (optional)
If you like, you can top your blueberry muffins with a crunchy oatmeal crumble. For 12 muffins, you’ll need:
- 30 g (0.4 cup) oats rolled
- 20 g (1.5 tbsp) sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 20 ml (1.5 tbsp) neutral-flavored oil e.g., sunflower or canola oil
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Step-by-step guide for perfect vegan lemon blueberry muffins
Good news: the process is just as quick and easy as the ingredient list.
- Preheat the oven: to 220 °C/430 °F (yes, 220 to start with) top/bottom heat and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Optional crumble topping: Mix oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then add oil and stir until crumbly.
- Wet ingredients: Mix sugar, yogurt, oil, and lemon juice with zest until well combined.
- Dry ingredients: Sift flour with starch, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients and stir just briefly until everything is combined. One thing you should never do with muffin batter is overmix it – that’s what leads to dense, tough, almost rubbery muffins instead of soft and moist ones.
- Gently fold in the sparkling water and blueberries – set a few aside for the tops (3 per muffin).
Tip: If using frozen blueberries, toss them in a little flour or starch beforehand so they don’t sink. Don’t thaw them first, otherwise they’ll turn mushy and can’t be coated properly.
Note: The batter should be thick and slightly fluid – thicker than a regular cake batter, but still easy to stir. - Fill the muffin cups: Many recipes suggest filling them only 2/3 full. Nope. Fill them all the way to the top. This, together with the ingredients and the initial high baking temperature, gives you those beautifully tall muffin tops. I’ve never had them overflow.
- Topping: Add about three blueberries on top of each muffin and sprinkle with some sugar.
- Bake: Start with 7 minutes at 220 °C (430 °F) on the middle rack, then reduce to 180 °C (335 °C) and bake for another 23 minutes. If using crumble topping, they may need a few extra minutes.
- The muffins are done when they turn lightly golden on top and pass the toothpick test – that’s when your vegan blueberry muffins are at their best.
How to store & enjoy your muffins for days
How long do vegan lemon blueberry muffins last?
Fresh muffins with blueberries should be stored in the fridge and will stay moist for about 3 days. I’ve personally kept them for up to 3 days (they usually disappear before that), but a 4th day should still work just fine. For the best texture, take them out of the fridge a bit ahead of time instead of eating them straight away.
Can you freeze these blueberry muffins?
Yes, absolutely. You can freeze them even with the paper liners. To prevent them from sticking together in a container or freezer bag, place them on a board first and let them freeze individually until firm, then transfer them.
To thaw, leave them at room temperature for 1–2 hours or microwave for about 30 seconds. If you like, you can also warm them in the oven at 150 °C for 10–15 minutes – they’ll taste almost like freshly baked.
How do you keep muffins moist for several days?
Keep the muffins in an airtight container or zipper-bag, after they have cooled completely. Put them into the fridge and they will stay soft and moist for a couple of days. Bring them back to room temperature before serving.
Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Dairy‑Free, Egg‑Free, Moist & Fluffy)
Useful equipment
- muffin pan *)
- cake tester *)
Ingredients
- 160 g sugar for the batter
- 240 g soy yogurt
- 105 ml neutral-flavored oil e.g., sunflower or canola oil
- 60 ml lemon juice approx. 1–2 lemons
- Lemon zest from about ½ lemon
- 175 g white flour wheat or spelt flour
- 70 g whole grain flour wheat or spelt flour
- 45 g starch corn or potato starch
- 1 packet baking powder usually 14–15 g
- 1 pinch salt
- 40 ml sparkling water soda or mineral water
- 125 g blueberries fresh or frozen
- 20 g sugar to sprinkle on top of the muffins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C (430 °F! yes!) on conventional heat and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine sugar, soy yogurt, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift flour, starch, baking powder, and salt over the wet ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients – stir only briefly until just combined. Avoid using a stand mixer; overmixing can make the batter dense.
- Prepare blueberries: Set aside about 36 blueberries (3 per muffin) for the tops. Gently fold in the remaining blueberries and sparkling water. If using frozen blueberries, keep them frozen and toss them in a little flour or starch before folding in.
- Fill muffin cups: Use a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly.
- Top muffins: Press the reserved blueberries lightly on top (3 per muffin) and sprinkle some granulated sugar.
- Bake: Place in the oven on the middle rack for 7 minutes at 220 °C (430 °F), then reduce the temperature to 180 °C (355 °F) and bake for another 23 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool down before you enjoy them.
